Amazing Justice
by Billy The Blue Beaver
Summary: In an alternate universe where DC and Marvel coexist together, Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, is offered the opportunity to join the teenage superhero team known as Young Justice. This story focuses on your friendly neighborhood and his friendship with DC's Main 6. (Specifically the first two seasons)
1. Forward

I can never get away from Spider-Man! I don't know why. Maybe I just love the character that much. It's kind of funny that Greg Weissman developed both Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice. I decided to do this story just because. Anyway, this takes place during both seasons to Young Justice. And it's narrated through Peter's point of view in the first person narration. Oh, and that title? It's a reference to both Young Justice and Amazing Fantasy, the comic Spider-Man debuted in, and also a reference to the comic series, The Amazing Spider-Man. Originally, this was one whole story on Wattpad. But due to some technical difficulties, the story was split in two, on two different stories. Now, this two-parter is going to be one entire story as originally intended. This is for all my friends and family.


	2. Typical Day In Queens

You know I'm no award winning scientist. I'm just your average bookworm that got bitten by a radioactive spider, and gained the proportionate speed, strength, and agility of a spider. Who am I? You really want to know? I'm Spider-Man.

Today was just another typical day in Queens, New York. I was swinging around town when suddenly, there was a building on fire. There were firetrucks and firefighters doing their job to stop the fire. Everyone was out, or so I thought. There was a woman outside who was hysterical as she said, "my baby's in there! Save my baby! SAVE MY BABY PLEASE!" The building was ready to collapse. I couldn't just do nothing. "Hero time," I thought as I then swooped into the burning building. Suddenly, a fiery explosion! I could hear the woman freaking out. But I swooped out of the building, in my arms was the woman's baby boy, swaddled in a yellow blanket. He was crying, but he was okay. "It's okay ma'am," I assured her, "your baby's okay." I gently gave him to her, and she said, "bless you Spider-Man..."

"Hold it right there, Spider Freak!" A police officer yelled, running to me as he said, "you're under arrest!" Great, another Daily Bugle reader that thinks I'm a menace. "Gee, you're welcome," I sarcastically said. Before the pessimistic officer could cuff me, someone stopped him. It was Captain George Stacy! "Stop right there Walker," instructed Captain Stacy. "Sir, I'm here to arrest Spider-Man," protested Officer Walker. "On what charges?" Captain Stacy asked, "Spider-Man saved an innocent life. You can go, son." Good old George Stacy. "Thank you Captain," I said as I swung away. I heard Walker bicker with the Captain, "why do you defend that menace?!?!?!" Captain Stacy replied, "because like Batman and Superman, Spider-Man does things by the book." Glad to know somebody supported me. What I didn't know was that there were 6 people watching me. 6 people that were going to change my life forever.


	3. Meeting The Team

Funny story. I once saved this one hot dog guy from a truck that would've run him over. After saving his life, the hot dog guy was indebted to me and rewarded me with free hot dogs for life. Good to be a hero. After the fire incident, I got my usual hot dog, then swung to a rooftop that I usually hung out at when I wasn't fighting crime. "Time for lunch," I said as I lifted part of my mask and ate my hot dog. As I ate, I sensed that there were 6 people behind me. I turned around and saw 4 guys and 2 girls. 2 of the guys had Caucasian skin and black hair, one of them looked like Robin, the other wore a black t-shirt with the Superman symbol on. The guy next to Robin wore a yellow and red suit with red hair, and a Flash symbol. Kid Flash? The guy next to Kid Flash had dark skin, yellow hair, gills, and wore a red tank top, blue pants, and had tattoos on his arms. I think he had a symbol from Atlantis. Aqualad? The first girl had Caucasian skin and blonde hair, and her suit was green. The other girl had green skin, red hair, freckles, and her suit was blue and white with a red x. Is she a martian? I looked at them, barely finished with my hot dog.

"Please, go on, finish your hot dog," joked Kid Flash. The blonde girl elbowed him. I then quickly finished my hot dog, swallowed it, then put my mask back down. I looked at them and asked, "you're that team I heard about... Young Justice?" I accidentally burped. God, this was awkward. "Yes, we are," replied Aqualad, "and you must be the one they call Spider-Man, correct?" I nodded nervously. "Yeah, we heard about you in the funny papers," joked Kid Flash. "You sure don't look like some menace to me," said Superboy. "All joking aside," said Robin, "we saw what you did there, risking your life to save that child. Whatever the media said about you, it's a clear fabrication." Were these young superheroes commending me? "Took guts Webhead," said the blonde girl, "we like that." Aqualad reached out his hand and said, "how would you like to join our team, Spider-Man?"

I was stunned. Was I literally being offered this opportunity to join a team with heroes like me? I could use more friends... Still I said, "I don't know, I might be a little uncomfortable with revealing my secret identity, and I got school, and curfews, so..." Did I just sound nervous in front of these guys? "We can respect that," said the Martian Girl. Well, these guys seemed cool, how could I refuse? I then shook Aqualad's hand and said, "well alright, I'll join your team." Aqualad smiled and said, "very well. Allow me to introduce you to the team. I'm their leader, Aqualad, this is Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Artemis, and Miss Martian." I shyly waved at them. Still couldn't believe this was happening. "Please, call me Megan," requested Miss Martin. This was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.


	4. Welcome to Mount Justice

I followed the team to where they entered Queens. They entered via Zeta Tube. They arranged it to where I could enter with no problems. "So this teleports anywhere just like Star Trek?" I asked excitedly. "Notable comparison," replied Kid Flash. I went in as a voice said, _"__recognized. Robin B01, Aqualad B02, Kid Flash B03, Superboy B04, Miss Martian B05, Artemis B06, Spider-Man B07."_ I was now on the inside of Mount Justice. "Well, you guys sure know how to make a guy feel welcome," I joked. I looked around, and there was Batman himself!

"We got him," said Robin as he walked up to his mentor. "So I see," replied Batman. I couldn't believe this! Batman was here! I went there and shook his hand as I stammered, "it's an honor to meet you, Mr. Batman, sir..." Batman smirked and said, "the honor's all mine. Welcome to the team, Spider-Man." I nodded in excitement. "You need to swear that you'll keep all of this a secret. Understood?" Batman sternly asked. I nodded and said, "yes sir." Robin cleared his throat and said, "hey Batman, can we show Spider-Man around?" Batman nodded as he left. The team showed me around the headquarters. "This is where I keep the souvenirs," said Kid Flash. "Cool," I said. I could get used to this.


	5. Failsafe

Since joining Young Justice, I ended up befriending all of the team, despite not revealing my secret identity. My routine usually consisted of school, then heading to Mount Justice as Spider-Man while doing my homework, when I wasn't training with the team. Then we'd fight the villain of the week, or someone from The Light. Rumor had it there was a mole, but I assured Aqualad I was no mole. There was a time Robin and I even kicked Joker's ass! Afterwards, I would go home and have dinner with Aunt May. It would be nice if Aunt May met my new friends.

Then one fateful day, Earth was invaded. We don't know by who, but these ambiguous aliens were ruthless. How? Justice League was the first to fall. Then The Avengers. Then SHIELD. Then the Fantastic Four. Then the X-Men. "This is bad," I said. Everyone I looked up to was gone. All 7 of us were the only ones that were left. It was up to us to stop these aliens. We went to the arctic because that's where one of the aliens were residing. But something felt wrong... "Something up Spidey?" Kid Flash asked. "Yeah KF, something feels fishy..." I replied, "these aliens, what are they? I'm surprised they could take down someone like The Hulk and Luke Cage. Especially since Luke's skin is super tough like The Thing and Hulk. He'd likely be knocked out in a scenario like this..." Were my Spider Senses tingling? Kid Flash scratched his chin and said, "yeah, that is unusual... Are your Spider Senses tingling, Webhead?" I didn't have time to answer that because it was time to attack. But Artemis and I were the first to die. I couldn't believe this! This is how I die? Going down like a punk? How undignified!

At least, that's what I thought. I wake up in a sweat in a room with my friends. They're asleep. I'm at Mount Justice. I'm alive! "It was a dream?" I asked. "A mental training simulation I set up," replied Martian Manhunter. "One that we were supposed to fail?" I asked, vaguely remembering. Batman nodded. "Your spider senses made you far more aware of the scenario," he said, "glad to know you made it." Kind of cool that Bats knew of my Spider Senses. "The same cannot be said about Artemis," said Martian Manhunter, "she's slipping into a coma. I need to do something in order to save them." This wasn't good. J'onn then went into the simulation. "How are you feeling?" Batman asked. "Lousy," I replied, "will my friends be alright?" Batman looked down as he said, "I don't know. But we can only hope."

It took a couple hours, but everyone managed to wake up from this psychic link. "You guys alright?" I asked. You won't believe how relieved I was. "Spidey, you're alive?" Superboy asked. J'onn then explained what happened. Turned out Megan's psychic link was far stronger than we all realized. "How did you escape?" M'gann asked, scared that I could've ended up like Artemis. I shrugged and said, "Spider Senses. Megan, it's alright..." Well the ordeal traumatized the team. I couldn't blame them. I then decided to go home to my Aunt May.


	6. Disordered

After that ordeal, the team wasn't the same for awhile. M'gann was the most down in the dumps. It was sad. So Batman had Black Canary talk to us to maybe help. We each took turns. The lack of action must've bored Conner, so he left and brought Sphere and Wolf with him. I decided to do my homework, work on my webbing fluids, until it was my turn to talk with Dinah. I went in and sat down on the chair, facing her. "Nice to see you again Miss Lance," I said. "The same to you Spider-Man," she replied.

I talked about how I felt about the ordeal, and how scared I was for my friends. "You care a lot about them, don't you?" Dinah asked. I nodded. I then asked, "you won't tell anyone else about this, will you?" She remained serious as she replied, "nothing will leave this room." I then took off my mask in front of her. "My real name is Peter Parker," I confessed, and then I poured my heart out, telling her everything, including how Red Skull killed my parents when I was a baby, getting picked on as a kid, the radioactive spider that gave me my powers, losing my Uncle Ben, and how I was treated like a menace. She was a little shocked at first, but then understood. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Peter," she said sympathetically. I guess I must've shed a few tears. "It just feels good letting it all out," I replied, "should I tell them?" I was honestly scared, but I knew I could put my trust in Dinah. "Only when you believe the time is right," she said, "don't worry, they'll understand." I smiled and said, "thanks for listening." Dinah smiled and said, "Anytime Pete." I then put my mask back on and left.


	7. Unmasked

Things started to get a little bit better afterwards. The team soon started acting like their old selves. But we soon found out who was part of The Light. The Team consisted of Vandal Savage, Lex Luthor, Ra's Al Ghul, Brain, Ocean Master, Klarion the Witch Boy, and Queen Bee. Still, it felt good, going on missions again. I even met Red Arrow, Rocket, and Zatanna. But there were suspicions on if there was a mole in the team.

One fateful day, it seems The Light was up to something. But Artemis, Conner, and M'gann had some secrets to reveal. Artemis confessed that Cheshire was her sister, Sportsmaster was her father, and her mom was formerly The Huntress. Conner confessed that not only was Superman his biological father, but so was Lex Luthor. "So, who's next?" Wally sarcastically asked. That's when M'gann stood up and said, "I am," much to Wally's dismay, since he was kidding. She then showed her true form. She was a White Martian! I'll admit, I was shocked to find out about all this. But we were willing to accept all of this, even Conner since he knew. I knew it was time to reveal my secret. "You're not the only ones wearing a mask," I said, "it's time you know who I really am." I then took off my mask, revealing my face. "My real name is Peter Parker," I confessed, "and I've been Spider-Man since I was 15." My friends looked at me with interest. "You can link us up and show them everything," I said to M'gann, to which she obliged. She showed the team everything, from my humble origins, to being bitten by that spider, to becoming Spider-Man, to Uncle Ben's death, and so on. Afterwards, Artemis said, "dude, you've had it rough." I nodded. "I was beginning to lose faith in myself before I met you guys," I said. Aqualad put his hand on my shoulder and said, "your Uncle Ben would be proud of the man you've become." I smiled. My secret is safe. "I wanted you guys to know all this because I trust you guys, and you're all my friends," I said, feeling better. "We feel the same way about you too Pete," said Robin. We stopped Sportsmaster, Luthor, and Queen Bee afterwards. It was a good day. We stopped the bad guys. Or did we?


	8. Auld Acquaintance

It was New Years Eve, and I was ready to spend time with my Aunt May. Well, that is, until I found out at the last minute that she was going to a party with her friend Anna Watson. "Sorry to tell you at the last minute Peter," she said. "It's fine Aunt May," I said, "I could probably hang out with Gwen or my friends." Aunt May smiled and said, "I'd certainly like to meet your friends one day." I smiled and said, "trust me, you'd like them." And my aunt left. I then went to the Daily Bugle to give Jameson my photos of Spider-Man for him. He gave me the usual check. "Thanks again Mr. Jameson," I said, "Happy New Year." As I left, I got out my phone, deciding to call Robin. He picked up and I said, "hey dude, my aunt's at a party with a friend. Mind if I hang with you and the guys?" Wait, did I hear Sphere driving in the background? "It's a good thing you called Pete," said Robin, "we might need you to suit up. We're in a pickle." Uh-oh. "What's up?" I asked, ready to suit up. "Justice League's been brainwashed," replied Robin, "we'll meet up with you at the old rooftop." I nodded and put on my Spider-Man suit, ready for action.

I was at the old rooftop where I met the team, and there they were in the Sphere, and they parked. "So, care to explain?" I asked, looking at the team, and seeing a damaged android, "wait, Red Tornado, is that you?" The android replied, "yes Peter. The Justice League has been brainwashed by Vandal Savage and Klarion."

"Anything else?" I asked. "Tornado told us that the mole was Roy all along," replied Artemis. Red Arrow? Now that was a shocker. "I'm sure he wasn't really at fault," I said, "he was probably brainwashed by the true puppet masters. No pun intended." The team nodded in agreement. "Well now we know our priorities," said Robin. "Stop the League and the Light?" I asked. Aqualad nodded and said, "let's go." We then went into the JLA Watchtower, taking down some brainwashed Leaguers. "This definitely hurts me more than it hurts them," I said. But soon, the big 6, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, (specifically John Stewart) Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl teleported, and behind them was Savage. "You get to fight GL," retorted Kid Flash. Here we go. From what I read, John Stewart is a marine. This should be fun. I fought him as best as I could. But that ring of his wasn't helping. But then I remembered the thing that was brainwashing him was behind his neck, so I got it, and destroyed it. Thankfully, the rest of the team undid the brainwashing effects, and it caused Savage to flee. "You alright GL?" I asked. John rubbed his head, saying, "yeah. Thanks for taking that off of me Spider-Man." I shook his hand and said, "no problemo. So, no hard feelings?" John smirked and said, "none at all."

Soon it was midnight, a New Year! Robin kissed Zatanna, Wally kissed Artemis, Conner kissed M'gann, heck, Rocket kissed Kaldur, I had nothing. "I'm not kissing ya," said John. I smirked and said, "don't worry, I got a girlfriend." But there was one thing that was bothering the League. What were the 6 Leaguers doing the last 16 hours when they were brainwashed? We needed to find out soon in order to hold them accountable. This is a mystery that will bother us for a while.


	9. Meeting Aunt May

After the meeting with the JLA, it was just the 7 of us. "So, you guys want to meet my Aunt May?" I asked. "Sure, that would be great!" M'gann enthusiastically said. We suited down and got into more civilian clothes, and M'gann made her green skin look Caucasian. Soon, we were at Queens, and outside my home. "Nice digs," complemented Wally. "Give me a minute," I said as I then knocked on the door. Aunt May then opened the door. "Hello Peter," she said, smiling. "Hey Aunt May," I said, "I was wondering if you'd like to meet my friends..."

"I'd love to," she replied, and I nodded, letting the guys know it was cool, and there they were. "Guys, this is my Aunt May," I said, introducing my friends to her, "Aunt May, these are my friends, Dick Grayson, Wally West, Kaldur'ahm, Conner Kent, Artemis Crock, and Megan Morse." They all smiled. "It's very nice to meet you Ms. Parker," said Dick, shaking my aunt's hand. "Please, call me Aunt May," she said, "come on in." We all went in my house, closing the door. "Peter's told us so much about you," said Conner, holding Megan's hand. It was nice to see him smile. "Oh really?" Aunt May giggled. "Only the good stuff," I replied, as we all sat on the couch. "Your nephew's a good friend," said Wally, Artemis nodding in agreement. "Glad to know," said Aunt May. I could tell that she already liked my friends.


	10. Five Years Later...

A lot can happen in 5 years. Truer words have never been said. What happened during those 5 years you may ask? The roster kept on expanding, with new members like Batgirl. Dick, he's no longer Robin, he's now Nightwing. Tim Drake is now the new Robin, he's a good successor. Wally and Artemis, their relationship is still going strong, and they've retired from the team, though I still keep in touch with them. I can't say the same about Conner and M'gann. They broke up, and M'gann is dating Lagoon Boy. Kaldur, his old flame got killed, and he found out Black Manta's his dad, and he left us. And what of me, fortunate reader? I'm still Spider-Man, working with the team, the occasional comic relief. I go to Empire State University. But a year ago, my worst fears came true. Gwen Stacy, the girl I loved, died. Now I know how Kaldur felt.

Honestly, I miss the people we were once, those 5 years ago. After Gwen's death, I consumed myself in my studies, my work for the Bugle, and my duty as a hero. But my friends could tell I was grieving. Dick, Wally, Artemis, Conner, and M'gann were all there for me, like true friends. They helped me heal. They helped me smile again. They helped lift my spirits up when I was down. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't be Spider-Man anymore.

Anyway, I got into Mount Justice after giving Jameson my usual photos. Then Nightwing asked me and Batgirl to come over. I came in and saw Babs in her Batgirl suit, and Dick in his Nightwing suit. Okay, the thing is, I like Batgirl. She's a good teammate and a good friend. I like every opportunity to work with her. After Gwen's death, I've been debating whether I like Barbara as more than just a friend. "Hey Dick, hey Babs," I said. "Hey Pete," she replied, "what's up Nightwing?" Nightwing looked at us and said, "Hulk's attacking Gotham. Can you two handle him?" Now I'm sure there was a reasonable explanation for Hulk's supposed rampage. "Sure thing Nighty, nobody knows Hulk better than me," I said. Babs elbowed me and said, "come on Webhead, let's go."

We got to Gotham and Hulk smashed a police car, roaring. "Something's off about Hulk," said Batgirl. "How so?" I asked, "because when he's really pissed, he usually acts like this." Hulk looked at us and yelled, "ROSS AND ARMY KILL BETTY! HULK SMASH PUNY ARMY!" Now I was confused. "Hulk smash puny army?" I confusedly asked. "He's under... LOOK OUT!" Batgirl yelled, and we dodged his mighty fists. Once Batgirl and I were safe, I said, "hypothesis, Batgirl?" She panted, "Hulk's aggressive looking face, it's a result of fight or flight mode. Notice his pupils, they're dilated! He's hallucinating his worst fears!" I nodded and Batgirl threw a smoke bomb at Hulk, provoking him further. Now that he was distracted, I leaped and punched him square in the jaw, the impact knocked him smack on the ground. "You calm now?" I asked, and Hulk shrunk back down to Dr. Bruce Banner. "You can take that as a yes." Batgirl then put an antidote into Dr. Banner and sighed in relief. Bruce groaned and I asked, "Bruce, what happened?" He rubbed his head and said, "some guy in a scarecrow costume gassed me... I watched Betty die..." Scarecrow. I may not have met the guy, but from what Dick and the Bat Family have told me, he's dangerous. "Betty's not dead, Dr. Banner," assured Batgirl, "what you saw isn't real. Spider-Man, take Dr. Banner back to New York. I'll look for Scarecrow." I nodded and said, "be safe out there Batgirl." She nodded and left. As Dr. Banner and I left, he said, "you know, that Batgirl looks like a real keeper." I chuckled and said, "yeah, she does." Wait, did Bruce just figure out I got a crush on Babs?


	11. Eavesdropping

We've been invaded, and this time it's for real. And to make matters worse, we found out what the Main 6 were up to during those 16 hours 5 years ago. And because of that, they have to stand trial in a faroff planet. The public can't know that the JLA is shorthanded right now. Of course, we got The Avengers, The X-Men, and The Fantastic Four, but that's beside the point!

Anyway, I was about to do some training in the gym when I overheard Dick talking with Artemis. I listened and found out that Kaldur didn't betray the team at all! In fact, he was undercover, assigned by Dick to act as a mole to The Light! So far, his father's none the wiser. And Artemis is going to fake her death and go undercover with Kaldur! I'm really narrating a lot of exposition, aren't I?

Well, guess someone could tell I overheard, because next thing I knew, Dick opened the door, Wally and Artemis behind. I smiled sheepishly. I'm so busted. "How much did you hear?" Artemis asked in her "I'm this close to kicking your ass" voice. I gulped. "Enough" I squeaked, "so... Kaldur ain't the bad guy..." Wally looked at Dick and asked, "what do we do with him Dick?" Dick, being the calm guy he is, said, "I got this. You won't tell anyone else, right?" I did the Boy Scout's sign as I said, "I swear. But I have a better idea. How about I cover for you, Artemis?" That shocked them. Wally and Artemis said in unison, "what?!?!?!"

"Come on Artemis," I reasoned, "you and Wally got a bright future ahead of you! And you're an aunt now. Besides, I got nothing to lose really." Artemis thought about that for a moment, and I could tell she was thinking of her baby niece. Nightwing asked, "are you telling me that you are willing to fake your own death and go undercover with Kaldur?" I nodded. "Honestly, that's a relief," said Artemis, "because I looked at the suit Tony Stark made for me, and it doesn't have that tiger theme I wanted. I think you would look better in it." I chuckled with Artemis. "Dude, what about your aunt?" Wally asked, a good point. "I think it's time I revealed the truth to her," I said, "she trusts you guys. She'll understand." Dick sighed and said, "alright then. Good luck Peter. And I'll be sure to tell Mr. Stark the change of plans."


	12. Depths

Carol Ferris asked us Young Justice members to ensure the safety of her rocket into outer space, and Artemis came back for this mission. "Good to have you back Arty," I said. "Good to be back," said Artemis. Anyway, we stood ground against Black Manta's men, since they were going to sabotage the mission. While waiting, Miss Martian and Superboy were up above, and I guess they were arguing. I mean, we were on telepathic link! Still, when Conner said M'gann was abusing her powers and compared her to Psimon, I thought that was harsh. Wasn't sure whether to intervene. Then, the cavalry arrived. Lagoon Boy was going to do something dumb, and he did not listen to our protests. "Lagoon Boy, you _d_umbass! What's next, are you going to steal one of Deadpool's fish tacos?" I telepathically scolded, not caring what M'gann was going to say about me berating her boyfriend. Look, M'gann is my friend, and as her friend, I want her to be happy, but that doesn't mean I like her "boyfriend" Lagoon Boy! The relationship seems forced in my opinion.

Anyway, Kaldur came in with his water swords, glaring at us. He saw Artemis and said, "welcome back." He was ready to stab her, and I pushed her out of the way, yelling, "Artemis, look out!" Then Kaldur impaled me, hissing, "good to see you, old friend." Cue some dramatic music. I then fell to the ground, my suit bleeding. Artemis performed CPR on me, but all her attempts were in vain. I could hear Superboy say, "I can't hear his heartbeat!" Artemis somberly said, "he's dead..." M'gann burst into tears. This was how it happened. This is how The Amazing Spider-Man died.

The End

I'm just messing with you. I'm not really dead. Kaldur only pretended to stab me. The blood? Fake. And as for my lack of a heartbeat? I ingested a pill that slowed down my heart to where not even a Kryptonian could hear it. They call it "Osculum Est Mortis." 45 minutes later, I'm alive. I went to the warehouse where Dick, Artemis, Wally, and Kaldur were secretly meeting. I came to the front. "Welcome back to the land of the living," said Wally. "Guess they bought it," I said. "Little too well," replied Kaldur. "Now what?" I asked. Dick got a briefcase, handing it to me. "Here's your new suit, made by Tony Stark. It's got an interrogation mode to disguise your voice." I also looked at the new amulet I was wearing. "What's with the bling?" Wally asked. "That's a pendant amulet," explained Dick, "Zatanna made it. It changes Peter's appearance." I smirked. "To me and you guys," I said, "I'm just Peter Parker. But to others, I'm just Tobey Garfield."

Indeed, my brown hair is black and my brown eyes are a jade green, and my facial features were different. Honestly a brilliant disguise. Nobody will be none the wiser. "This is where I leave you guys." I said. I gave Dick, Wally, and Artemis a hug. They all wished me good luck. For now, I'm Spider-Man no more.


	13. I Miss The People We Were (Flashback)

AYear Ago...

It's been weeks since Gwen died. I still can't believe she's gone... Why'd she have to die? Why is it every time I'm Spider-Man, those who're close to me, the ones not on the field, they're the ones who die because of me? Uncle Ben? Captain George Stacy? And now Gwen? Worst part is, I can't tell Harry. How am I supposed to tell my best friend/roommate that his father is the one responsible for Gwen's death? I just can't. I don't know if The Team knows about Gwen's death. A few months prior, Aquagirl died and Aqualad betrayed us. Now I know how he feels. I'm not as energetic and humorous as I once was. This hasn't gone unnoticed by everyone.

When I wasn't Spider-Man, I was consuming myself in my studies and my work. And when I wasn't doing that, I was at Gwen's grave. She was buried next to her dad. Their deaths are my fault. I have to live with that. Anyway, one day, I'm at Gwen's grave, sitting there all by myself. I've got nothing to say really. I sigh sadly. Suddenly, I can hear five people behind me. "Pete? Buddy?" I hear Wally ask me. "How'd you guys find me?" I hoarsely asked. "You weren't at Mount Justice," said Dick. "We got worried about you Peter," said M'gann, "so we asked Aunt May and your roommate where you were." I stood up and turned around. It was Dick, Wally, Artemis, Conner, and M'gann. They were in civilian clothes, and M'gann was in her human form. "This where you hang out when you're not Spidey?" Conner asked. I nodded.

"What are you and Artemis doing here, Wally? I thought you were done with the superhero business..." I said. Wally put his hand on my shoulder and said, "This has nothing to do with the capes and masks. You're our friend Peter, and I'm always there for my friends." Artemis nodded and said, "Dude, you look like crap." I gave a sardonic smile. "All jokes aside," said Artemis, "we talked to Aunt May. She told us about Gwen." My friends all looked at me sadly. "We're so sorry about what happened to her," said M'gann. "We all know what it's like to lose someone close," said Dick, "just know that we're here for you Peter, always."

I hugged Dick tightly, and started to cry. That's when the rest of the team hugged me. "It's okay Peter..." M'gann softly said, "We all know it hurts... Just let it out." I continued to cry my eyes out, and they held me there, comforting me. It was nice to see that Conner and M'gann put aside their differences to be there for me. Soon, I finished crying. "Better?" Artemis asked. "Yeah..." I sniffled. "Your aunt's making cookies, come on Pete!" Wally said. I decided to walk with them. "Thanks for looking out for me, guys." I said. I looked at Conner and said, "I miss the people we were..." Conner nodded and said, "Yeah, so do I Pete."


	14. They Call Me Ricochet

Now...

I was Spider-Man, once. But for now, Spider-Man is dead. I'm not even Peter Parker. To The Light, I'm Tobey Garfield. That's my cover name. Harry doesn't know I'm gone. He's in Europe on some business trip. After his father disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Harry's had to run Oscorp on his own. But I know darn well what happened to Norman. He's just waiting to strike back at any moment. Anyway, the apartment. I let Artemis and Wally live in the apartment until I come back. They're going to keep an eye on Aunt May, who's living with her friend Anna Watson. As for Daily Bugle? I quit that job. Kinda had to. And let's face it, Daily Bugle wasn't paying enough.

I'm in a private room, putting on the suit that Mr. Stark made for me. Once this mission is over, I'm going to be working at Stark Industries. Sounds like a fair trade. I then hear a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I ask, unsure if it's a Light member. "Tobey, it's me," I heard Kaldur say outside. I sigh in relief and open the door, letting my friend in. Kaldur shut the door behind him. "What do you think of my new suit?" I ask. "It is a far cry from your more colorful suit," said Kaldur, "but it suits the mission and no one will tell the difference. Not with that mask anyway. The suit is laced with a metal, no?" I smirk and say, "Adamantium." Kaldur gave a look of surprise and asked, "the same metal used to coat Wolverine's bones and claws?"

"Same ones my man," I confirmed, still smirking, "even without my powers, I could easily take someone out with the metal." Kaldur smiled and said, "impressive. Have you thought of a codename?" I put on the mask, turning on the interrogation mode. With my low voice, I said, "Call me Ricochet."

Kaldur smirked and said, "Dude, that's a badass nickname. I like it. Come on, they're waiting for us." We then left the room. "Oh, and Peter..." Kaldur said, "I'm sorry about Gwen." I nodded and said, "Yeah, I know how you feel now." We walked together to learn of our mission. Kaldur's father, Black Manta assigned us to capture Jaime Reyes, AKA The Blue Beetle. Now we're on a ship with Icicle Jr and The Terror Twins, headed to Mount Justice. This is definitely a different crew than what I'm used to. At least I know I have a familiar old friend.


	15. Common Grief (Another Flashback Chapter)

A Year Ago...

It's been a few weeks since my friends comforted me during my grief. They went out of their way to spend time with me to lift my spirits. And yeah, it's making me happier. Anyway, I'm at Mount Justice working on a new suit. Trying to imitate a stealth suit. Suddenly, I hear a knocking. I turn around to see Barbara in her Batgirl suit. She took off her cowl and said, "Hey Peter."

"Oh, hey Babs," I said, smiling a little. "You mind if I sit next to you?" Barbara asked, blushing a little. "Sure, by all means," I said, offering her room. Barbara smiled and walked on over to me, sitting next to me. "Whatcha working on?" Babs asked curiosly. "Trying to replicate the stealth suit that the team usually wears." Barbara nodded and said, "Nice. So, how've ya been?" I looked at her and said, "I've been doing alright." I continued to tinker with my suit. "Dick told me about Gwen..." Barbara said straightforwardly, "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Oh, uh... Thanks Barbara," I said, looking at her, "I appreciate your condolences." Barbara nodded and said, "Dick and I know what it's like to lose someone close. You're not alone on this." I had a feeling about who Barbara was talking about. "Jason..." I said, remembering the second Robin. Barbara nodded sadly. I held her hand and said, "Jason may have been rough around the edges, but he was a good kid." Barbara looked at my hand, and blushed when I held her hand. I also blushed and said, "Sorry..." Barbara smiled and said, "it's okay Peter. But you're right about Jason. He was a good kid. You always knew how to make him laugh." I smiled a little and said, "A sense of humor is how I cope."

"Still, I want you to know," said Barbara, "if you ever need someone to talk to, and your Aunt May or the Team or Dinah are unavailable, I'm here for you. No matter the time, I'll be there. I promise." I smiled and said, "Thanks Barbara. That means a lot. You're a good friend." Barbara smiled at that. When I first met her, I liked Barbara. Now... Maybe I like her as more than a friend. I continued to tinker with my suit for about 30 minutes. I was almost close to replicating the stealth mode. "Hey Pete, after this, you want to watch a Robin Williams movie?" Barbara offered, "Maybe Aladdin or Mrs. Doubtfire?" I smiled and said, "Sure."


	16. Darkest

Now...

We're on the ship to hunt down Jaime Reyes, AKA The Blue Beetle. We're capturing him for The Light's new partner. Who it is, I don't know. On a side note, M'gann's new boyfriend Lagoon Boy got kidnapped by The Light. Of course, Kaldur and I have a plan to have him rescued, much as I don't like that guy. No one else in The Light knows about the backup plan. Anyway, we're on the ship. Icicle Jr is constantly flirting with Tuppence Terror. And it's getting annoying. I then say in my interrogation mode voice, "You know something Junior? You talk too much." This caused Icicle Jr to shut up. Tuppence's twin brother Tommy started laughing. "Ah like this guy! Always knows what ta say!" he said, "what's yer name?" I looked at him and said, "They call me Ricochet. I have radioactive strength, and a suit of metal from the same stuff from Wolverine's claws. And I am a deadly mercenary. Deadlier than that idiot Deadpool I wouldn't pick a fight with me if I were you." Kaldur smirked a little. But that smirk soon dropped and he said, "Perhaps we could focus on the mission, Ricochet. We are closing on our target."

Soon, it was nighttime, and we found Jaime. He wasn't alone though. He was with that other Speedster... what's his name? Oh right, Impulse, AKA Bart Allen, future grandson of Barry Allen, The Flash. They were hanging out. We parked near where they were, and got out. Tuppence saw Jaime flying in the air, saying, "Crash." Tuppence then jumped from behind, and attacked him. They landed on the ground, knocking the wind out of Jaime. Impulse frowned and said, "Ah man! I spent 1.6 seconds on that self-portrait! That was my favorite!" I ran up from behind and jumped, ready to kick Bart in the face, but he ran out of the way with his speed. But he ran into Tommy, and once he was on his back, I used my net gun to tie him down on the ground. That'll hold him. The Twins were holding Jaime back. Kaldur observed all of this from the top part of this small mountain. "Hold him steady!" barked Icicle Jr, "Now move!" The Twins moved while Junior blasted at Jaime, freezing him. "BLUE!" Bart shouted, and he used his speed to vibrate out of the net. I tried to stop him, but I was too late. Blast it. That's when Jaime burst out of the ice, mad. He then blasted at Tommy, knocking him down. Then he blasted at Tuppence, knocking her down too. I managed to jump out of the way. But he used his other blaster to have me stick to a boulder. I used my spider strength to get out of that boulder. Jaime and Bart were making plans to escape. Then Bart saw Kaldur and ran to him. He then took Kaldur's tracker, running as fast as he could. "They can't follow us now," he said, smirking, "let's blow this joint!" They then ran away, leaving us in the dust. Or so they thought.

"Well that's brilliant chief!" Tommy complained, "You let 'em get away with the trackin' device! Now how do we find Beetle?" Kaldur just stood there, scowling. "As it happens..." he said, "the device will give away where they are at. And it will deactivate all security systems at Mount Justice." I nodded and said, "The boss and I got this. Any questions?" Silence. I have to admire Kaldur for always being one step ahead of us. We were back in the ship, and Tommy asked, "You had another one of them gizmos, why didn't you say so?" Kaldur was in the driver's seat and he said, "It is not the same. This one confirmed that it acted as a Trojan horse. Impulse brought it into the cave, and we explained what will happen. As Ricochet has quipped, we're one step ahead of them." The Twins and Junior smiled, admiring our tactics. "Mount Justice is ours," said Kaldur. We then dove underwater, and in a few minutes, we were inside Mount Justice. I went to the living room, and saw Wolf, Conner's pet, was sleeping on the couch. He woke up only once, sniffing to see what was going on. But he went back to dozing off. Good boy. I then put the power dampening collar on him. The others dealt with whoever else was inside. There was Beast Boy and Superboy. And afew minutes later, the security systems were deactivated. That's when Tommy threw an unconscious Superboy onto Nightwing. Impulse managed to knock down Icicle Jr, but not the twins, putting the power dampening collar on him. Once Dick got Conner off of him, I kicked him in the face, fighting him. I knocked him off his feet, and he landed flat on his back. I then put the power dampening collar on his neck. Dick smirked and said, "Sorry, no superpowers for your collar to turn off." He pushed me back. He knocked me back to the ground. That's when I activated the shock inhibitor. Sorry Dick. Jaime was ready to blast us, when Kaldur shouted, "STAND DOWN!"

"This battle is over," he said. "I don't think so, traitor!" Blue Beetle snapped back, ready to blast at him. "Then rethink Beetle," replied Kaldur as he put the big bomb down on the ground, "This is the same type of bomb that obliterated the island. I am holding down the dead-man's switch. If my thumb comes off this button, for any reason or circumstance, Mount Justice falls." That's when Jaime landed with his hands in the air and said, "We're standing down." Tommy put the collar on him and Kaldur said, "Wise choice." Icicle Jr then came back and sarcastically said, "I'm fine by the way." I was about to say something smartass, when Kaldur said, "Good. Escort Beast Boy and Impulse into the flyer." Thank you Kaldur. But it did make me ask, "What about these two?" I was of course referring to Dick and Conner. "As hostages here, they have value," said Kaldur, "but Nightwing is an ordinary human. Superboy, a human/Kryptonian hybrid clone. Neither of any category is of interest to our partner." Nightwing got back up and yelled, "Aqualad! You'll regret this!" Kaldur walked on over and punched Dick in the gut, secretly giving him a thumb drive with information that will be super useful in the near future. Thankfully, only I saw it. Could you just imagine if someone else saw it, and they were like,"Hey Kal, what was that thing you put in Nightwing's hand?"

"Oh, nothing of importance..."

Kaldur turned his back on Dick and said, "I believe I have outgrown the name Aqualad. As well as anything resembling regret... I will leave the bomb with you. As a souvenir. Oh, and the dead-man's switch has a five mile range. Do not pursue." That's when we left, with Jaime, Bart, and Garfield. Junior pushed Jaime and said, "Move it bug." I take offense to that, me being part spider. I could tell that Jaime was communicating to the Scarab, which only he could hear. But if I didn't know better, I'd say that suit could potentially take over him at any minute. That's when Beetle attacked, knocking down Junior and I. Good thing my suit is built for this type of abuse. He then blasted at Kaldur, knocking him down, and he accidentally dropped the detonator. Jaime soon realized that the "Dead-Man's Hand" was nothing more than a fake. Busted... But right when Jaime was ready to attack Kaldur, he shocked him so hard, Jaime's suit had an open target. I used this opportunity to release a knock-out dart on him. "I was not certain that would work," said Kaldur. "Me neither," I said. "But it seems Beetle is vulnerable to mystic energy and sedatives," said Kaldur, "bring him aboard." And that's what we did, and we were ready to take off. "Can't believe we didn't end Superboy when we had the chance," complained Tommy. "Boss here still has a soft spot for his old team," Junior accused. That's when Kaldur gave me the real detonator and he said, "Do it." I took off my mask, revealing my face to everyone. To everyone else, I have black hair and jade green eyes. But to Kaldur, he knows what I look like. "You sure?" I asked, feeling hesitant. Mount Justice has been like a second home to me. I'd hate to destroy it. Kaldur coldly said, "Do it." I sighed and reluctantly pulled the trigger. I'm gonna hate myself for this. That's when the bomb activated and exploded, destroying Mount Justice.

KABOOM!!!!

Garfield gasped, and Bart screamed, "OH NO!!!!" I looked on sadly, and Kaldur could see the look of guilt in my face. I knew that this was necessary. But that didn't mean I wouldn't feel bad about this. We then flew away. I can at least take comfort knowing that Dick, Conner, Wolf and Sphere will be alright. We soon came back to Black Manta's hideout. I decided to let Kaldur and his father be. But with this successful mission, there's a high likelihood that Kaldur is gonna be part of The Light. I just hope Aunt May's alright.


	17. Before The Dawn (Or: Play My Part)

So that Partner to The Light... they're this alien race known as The Reach. They're the same race that produced the Blue Beetle scarab. Their intent is to purposefully create more metahumans. Kaldur has given me all this information. I'm at Star City in my Ricochet suit, delivering several hostages to The Reach. I say to the guards in my Interrogation Mode voice, "Bring out the pods, now!" They bring the pods, and I say, "Alright, get those pods open. We're on a schedule. And Kaldur'ahm does not tolerate delays." Suddenly, my Spider-Senses start telling me there's someone behind me. I turn around, and there's nobody. Weird. I decide to just ignore that and keep moving. Can't blow my cover... Right when we're about to get ready, I notice two people who stand out. Wait, is that Tim... and Barbara? Focus Parker, can't let your guard down. They're purposefully being captured to rescue Lagoon Boy, Blue Beetle, Beast Boy, and Impulse, of course! Just go along with it. It's all part of Dick's plan. Oh, and there's Bumblebee. We have the kids captured, along with Tim, Barbara, and Karen, and then we get going. Like I said, We're on a schedule, and Kaldur does not tolerate delays.

As the gates opened, I said, "one per pod. Move!" All the kids get into the pod, Tim, Barbara, and Karen included. Once the jet came, I said, "okay, boat 'em and float 'em." And all the pods were put on the ship, and we were on our way. Several minutes later, we were inside the docking bay. Several minutes later, I heard the alarm go off. I don't need Spider Senses to know that The Team's rescuing everyone. "Hold your position trooper!" I orderd, but then I get grabbed and thrown to a wall. What the hell? My Spider Senses didn't even tingle! But my questions are answered once I see who assaulted me and the troopers. It's Conner! You sly dog. Had me fooled. I soon see everyone escaping. This is a good thing, but I gotta play my part. I groaned and got back up. That knocked the wind out of me. Once I'm up, I run to where Tim, Barbara, Conner, Wonder Girl, Lagoon Boy, Bumblebee, and the Black Beetle are at, but the gates close. Damn it. Could this get any worse?

I decided to look elsewhere. A few minutes later, I stumbled onto a horrible sight. I saw M'gann, Garfield, and Kaldur. But Kaldur was on his knees. "Kaldur!" I gasped, running to him to see if he was alright. He had an almost dead look on his face. Almost like he was lobotomized. M'gann had a horrified look on her face that was mixed with remorse. She literally destroyed Kaldur's mind! I let her read my mind, and see my appearance. I telepathically asked,"M'gann... What have you done...?"M'gann looked at me sadly and telepathically said,"I thought he killed you... That he deserved..."She probably knows everything about the plan. I don't have time to think as Garfield angrily jumps and turns into a tiger to attack us. I throw a smoke bomb and trigger it. In my interrogation mode voice, I say, "I take mine. You take yours. And count yourself lucky, boy!" I then carry Kaldur myself, getting away, and back to Black Manta's base. I just had to tempt fate and ask if it could get worse. On the bright side, at least everyone escaped and is back home. But at what cost though?


	18. The Fix

I'm inside my room in Black Manta's headquarters, contemplating about everything. How did it all go so wrong so fast? I'd say I have no one to blame but myself. Except it's getting harder to remember who myself is. Thanks to this glamour charm, everyone thinks I'm Ricochet, professional mercenary and trusted member of Black Manta's team. But I'm one of the few people this charm doesn't affect. Whenever I take off my mask and look in the mirror, it's the only reminder that I'm Peter Parker. What was I thinking? I was only trying to cover for Artemis because I knew that she and Wally had something special together. I knew they left the whole superhero thing just to be normal together, and I wanted them to be happy. I can't have that. A normal life, that is. Not since I got bitten by that spider. I thought I could have that normal life with Gwen, but Osborn reminded me that I can't. The minute I stumbled into that meeting with Nightwing, I couldn't say no if it meant Artemis could still be with Wally. I'm so frustrated that I hit the mirror that I'm looking at, and it smashes, breaking. I then hear Manta say, "Ricochet, report to Kaldur'ahm's Quarters at once."

And that's what I do, putting my mask back on. Once I make it to Kaldur's room, I see the catatonic Kaldur with his father, and an unfamiliar stranger. "What's up boss?" I asked. "Ricochet, this is Psimon," Manta introduced, "he can psychically fix my son's mind and undo the damage that the Martian witch did." Uh-oh. Just play along. "He can do that?" I asked. "Indeed my friend," replied Psimon, "I'll dig around and root his entire life back together. By the time I'm done, I'll know Kaldur'ahm better than he knows himself."

"Perfect," I replied with no emotion. Yeah, totally perfect. That is, if you don't mind Psimon learning all of Kaldur's secrets! Including the one about Aqualad and I being double agents for The Team and the Justice League! Like I said, how did it go so wrong so fast? "When can you begin?" Manta asked. "I need to focus, set my own mental house in order before I enter his ruins," replied Psimon. "Stay with them until the process is complete," ordered Manta, "my son did not speak of his feelings, but he cares for you as a brother, Tobey." I spoke emotionlessly, "I don't speak about my feelings either. Not with words." Manta nodded and said, "your actions define you. I respect that. So you'll be glad to know I will take action against the Martian witch that did this to our beloved Kaldur'ahm." Great. Now I'll have to rescue Miss Martian too... Long distance, no less.

A few minutes later, Psimon was finished meditating. "Alright, I'm ready," he said, "Let's see what the weather's like in there..." I gotta do something, ASAP! Or else we're both toast! On a stick! So I threw one of my deadly darts into Psimon's neck. He didn't notice, thank God. "The Martian really did a number on you Kaldur," he said, "believe me, I know how it feels. But, fear not. We'll have you up and running in... No... Time..." That's when the drugging started to work. "Something's... Wrong..." he slurred, "my mind... Clouding over..." He started to mentally attack, giving me a whopper headache."You!"Psimon snapped, telepathically picking me up and striking me to a wall. Come on, knock out ugly! He kept on pushing me into walls, saying,"You drugged me! But why?!?!?!?? Psimon says reveal your secrets!" I'm forced to reveal who I really am."Spider-Man!"he telepathically said,"you're Spider-Man and the drug... An invention of Stark's... Iron Man's... A single dose... Simulates catatonia... For weeks! But you... Miscalculated... How quickly... It takes..."But thankfully, he was out, letting me go. That's when Manta and his men barged in. "What happened?!?!?!" Manta asked. Play dumb, Parker. "I'm not sure," I lied, "he just went... Berserk. Is it possible Miss Martian left some telepathic virus in Kaldur's mind?" I hope he buys it. "If she did, then any telepath we might employ might suffer the same fate," he said. He bought it! "There's still one telepath who can help," I said, "Miss Martian herself. It's our only recourse. Send me to the mainland. I'll bring back the martian and we'll force her to cure Kaldur."

"Yes," said Manta, "yes of course. But she's dangerous. Kaldur would never forgive me if I sent you to face her alone." I said, "I'll take a squad of troopers." But Manta said, "No. You'll take Deathstroke."

"Perfect," I said. Yeah. Perfect. But thankfully, we were able to find M'gann and Lagoon Boy. They were at the junkyard in Chicago. Looks like they're having relationship problems. "Well this is awkward," I said, getting their attention. "We hate to interrupt such poignant interspecies romance, but we have pressing business with the Martian," said Deathstroke. He used his sword to blind them, and attacked Lagoon Boy. M'gann floated up, dodging my shot."Peter, that's you, right?"she telepathically asked."_No, I'm Captain America. Of course_ it's me!"I telepathically responded,"and I'm here to kidnap you."

"What?!?!?!??"she telepathically asked. She once again dodged my attacks."I need your help to save Kaldur,"I telepathically responded, "but Deathstroke can't know I'm on your side.Neither can Lagoon Boy. So, try to make this abduction look good..."M'gann obliged, nearly hitting me with a car."Without squishing me, please?"I telepathically asked. As Deathstroke fought Lagoon Boy, I continued to dodge M'gann's attacks. I then kicked her to the ground. Deathstroke then knocked Lagoon Boy so hard, he broke his leg. "Now that leg doesn't look good," said Deathstroke, "though I hate to see any poor animals suffer. You aren't on my hit list. How about an anesthetic for the pain?" He then knocked Lagoon Boy out. I then cornered M'gann into a ring of fire, weakening her. Deathstroke then put the dampening collar on her. Our mission was a success, and we got away. Soon, we got M'gann aboard, and into Kaldur's room. "Welcome aboard, Martian." Manta said heartlessly, "Let me make your situation perfectly clear. You are here to psychically fix the damage you have done to my son's mind. This inhibitor collar negates all your Martian abilities. In a moment, we will selectively reinstate your telepathic power only. But before we do that, understand; Deathstroke is watching you at all times. You'll be beyond the range of a psychic power. If he perceives even a hint of trouble, he will press a button which will activate a substantive explosive charge in your collar. So don't lose your head." He looked at the camera and said, "Deathstroke. Activate her telepathy." And that's what happened. Manta walked to the door and said, "now, save my son, or die." He then left the room. "You heard him," I barked, "get to work!"

"Peter, what do I do?"M'gann telepathically asked."What do you mean, what do I do? Fix Kaldur!"I telepathically responded,"the three of us will figure it out later!"M'gann looked at me and telepathically said,"I'm not worried about the rest. But honestly, I don't know if I can fix Kaldur... Breaking a mind is easy. But restoring one... Might be impossible. What if I make things worse?My mere presence could be seen as another attack."I looked in the mirror and telepathically said,"Then take me with you. He won't perceive me as a threat. I can help."M'gann looked at me and said,"Maybe. Or maybe I lose you too."I telepathically responded,"M'gann, we don't have any other choice."M'gann looked sadly and telepathically said, "No, I suppose not."That's when we telepathically entered Kaldur's mind. Suddenly, I was in my old Spider-Man costume, gasping for air."Peter! Peter! You're not underwater!"M'gann said, _"_this isn't real! _Your Spider Senses should tell you that!_ If you allow the illusions to hurt you here,your mind could suffer real damage! Permanent damage!"I got a hold of myself, breathing. "Right, right,"I said,"sorry M'gann."I looked around in Kaldur's head. His very messed up head..."This is how he perceives his psyche..."M'gann said,"Atlantis... In ruins... I don't even know where to start."Suddenly, we got attacked by Aquagirl! But then I remember, it's not real. You've got Spider Senses, Peter!

I'm able to save M'gann as Aquagirl chases us."M'gann, snap out of it!"I said, "You know none of this real! _You told me yourself!_"Come on M'gann..."All my fault... All my fault..."M'gann said. I decide to not bother with Aquagirl and look for Kaldur myself. Just my luck, I find him. But he's not the same. He's speaking unintelligible words. I knew I should've taken Atlantean language classes."Come on Kaldur,"I said, "it's me, Peter. M'gann and I are here to help make you better."The closest I could understand was,"I am alone. There is no-one here. Nothing... Ruins..."He's ready to float away, but I grab him and say,"No! No, you're not alone! We're here! We care about you, and we want to help! And we can do it! Together! Help us save you, together!"Right when M'gann is allowing herself to get killed, I intervene."No!"I snapped,"You want to blame yourself? Fine! But only if you're willing to do something about it!"M'gann took Kaldur's hand, reaching out to him."Kaldur, I am so sorry... Please, let me help you..."she pleaded."Help? No, ruins..."Kaldur said,"All ruins..."

"But it doesn't have to be ruins,"said M'gann,"we can fix things."I took their hands and said,"Together. As friends."We then started to metaphorically fix the ruins. Suddenly, I got interrupted by Black Manta, snapping back to reality. "Ricochet, what's wrong?" he asked. "Nothing," I lied, "I was lost in thought. Feels like I've been standing here for hours."

"You have," replied Manta, "Six hours. I came to check on your progress." Wow, time flies fast. "We've only just begun," said M'gann, "this will take days. Maybe weeks." Manta then growled, "you better not be stalling, Martian..." But by excellent timing, Kaldur weakly said, "Father... Father..." Manta sat next to Kaldur and said, "My son... I'm here, Kaldur'ahm."

"He's not back yet, not really," said M'gann. "No. But I see you are making progress," observed Manta, "keep it up, and you'll live. Mr. Adamantium, a word." We left the room and Black Manta said, "The witch is being more cooperative than I imagined." I curiously asked, "meaning you're having second thoughts?" Manta responded, "Meaning she's safe. When she's finished fixing my son, then she dies." Manta turned his back and I said, "Perfect." Yeah, totally perfect.


	19. Is It Complicated?

So it's been a few weeks, and M'gann has managed to fix part of Kaldur's mind. He's at 80%, and capable of holding a conversation, so that's good. Anyway, I'm with Kaldur and M'gann, when she asks,"something on your mind Peter?"Kaldur looked at her and asked,"pun intended?"Nice to see Kaldur got his sense of humor back."Well, how's Barbara doing?"I telepathically asked,"cuz the last time I saw her, it was that rescue mission."

Kaldur and M'gann smirked at each other."Something tells me he likes her,"Kal telepathically said."Can't blame him..."M'gann telepathically said."Guys!"I telepathically said. Although they couldn't see it thanks to my mask, I was blushing."Don't worry Peter, your secret's safe with us,"M'gann telepathically promised, "if you must know, Barbara really misses you. After you supposedly died, she was devastated. She told me that she never got to say how much she loved you..."

I never knew Barbara felt the same way. I've debated with myself whether I'm in love with Barbara. But now that I know Barbara loves me, now I feel bad that I faked my death. "Wow, I'm at a loss for words,"I telepathically said,"M'gann, if you see Barbara, and this is all over, can you tell her to go easy on me?"M'gann smiled and telepathically said,"don't worry, I will."

Flashback to a few years ago...

I was at Mount Justice when I was ordered to meet up with the team. Once I got to the front, I saw everyone except Dick was there. "Hey guys, what's up?" I asked curiosly. "I heard we got a new team member that Dick wanted to introduce," said Conner. "Huh, okay." I said. A minute later, Batman and Robin came in. With them was this girl with red hair wearing a Batman costume. Did she make it herself? "Everyone," announced Batman, "this is your new teammate, Batgirl. Robin and I consider her a valuable ally. She's got great technological skills, and she's va great combatant." Another computer expert? Cool. We all shook hands, and Batgirl smiled happily. Much later, I saw Batgirl looking around. "Oh hey Batgirl," I said, waving hello. "Hey there Spidey," she said. I gotta say, she's pretty cute. Wait, what am I saying? Dude, you have a girlfriend! "So, with Bats mentioning you got great technological skills, does that mean you're also an inventor?" I asked curiosly. Batgirl giggled, "Bats? That's your nickname for him? Dick and Artemis always told me you were funny, Spidey. But yeah, I'm very good at inventing things." Nice. "That is so cool," I said, "maybe we could collaborate on working on inventions together. Wait, you know Dick and Artemis?" Batgirl nodded and said, "Yeah, I went to high school with them. And I would love to work on inventions with you in the near future." She smiled. "So, do you think it would be a good idea if we knew our secret identities, in case we have to go on an undercover mission that involves us not wearing masks?" I asked. "I know the identities of everyone on this team except for you," said Batgirl as she took off her mask, "I'm Barbara. But you can call me Babs if you want." I took off my mask and said, "I'm Peter." We then shook hands and Barbara said, "Well, guess we're not strangers anymore are we?"


	20. Complications

What to do, what to do? Okay, good news is, M'gann has fully cured Kaldur. Bad news is, we're stuck. If Manta finds out, he's gonna kill M'gann."Man, what are we gonna do guys?"I telepathically asked."My father must not learn I am already cured,"Kaldur telepathically responded,"until we devise some way to save M'gann's life."I crossed my arms and telepathically asked,"Yeah, butthe questionis, how longcanwe continuetostall?"That's when Black Manta barged in and said, "my patience has run out, Martian. You have 24 hours to save my son. Finish curing my son or die." Then he left."Guess that answers your question. Either way, I'm doomed."M'gann telepathically said unhappily.

A few hours later, we've thought of something. It's not popular with M'gann, but what other option do we have?"So we're all agreed?"I telepathically ask."No, we're not.Idon'twantthetwo ofyou toriskexposureforme,"M'gann telepathically responded."Instead you expect us to simply sit thereandletyoudie?No. Peter, begin."Kaldur telepathically asked. I then faced the camera and as Ricochet, "Deathstroke. I've been on duty for 12 hours straight, I need to stretch my legs and drink some coffee." Deathstroke said on the intercom, "understood." I then left the room and said to the trooper, "I'll be back in 5 minutes." I leave the corridors to think of a plan. One of the lackeys offers me some fresh coffee. "Eh, no thanks," I say. That was close. Suddenly, less than five minutes later, the alarms went off. Why didn't my spider senses warn me?"M'gann, what's going on?"I telepathically asked. No response. M'gann? Uh-oh. I run to one room and order to two troopers, "I'll take over from here. You two protect Kaldur'ahm." I then look for M'gann's collar control. A few minutes later, Deathstroke announces, "Ricochet, Black Cat is trying to kill Kaldur, but the Martian is defending him. Maybe she knows that if she dies she'll be of no use to him. You better get to them." Felicia? That can't be good. I nodded and said, "on my way."

Thankfully, I've found the collar control, and I can turn M'gann's inhibitor collar off. I start running and telepathically say,"M'gann, Imanagedto deactivateyourinhibitorcollar.Youshould have allyourpowersbackrightnow. M'gann? M'gann!!!"Suddenly, I see Black Manta fighting... Wolverine??? What's he doing here? Logan looks really pissed though as he slashes at Black Manta. "Ricochet, stop this mutant scum!" Manta ordered. "Got it," I said as I kicked Logan back. "I'm going to save my son!" Manta said. Wolverine responded with, "You're not getting away that easy, you son of a bitch!" I punched in the mouth and said, "Language!" Wolverine growled and said, "big mistake, bub. So you're that Ricochet mercenary I've heard so much about. You're playing for the wrong team, pal. And that Adamantium suit? Totally unflattering. Especially after the hell I've been through!" His adamantium claws popped out of both of his knuckles and he said, "take your best shot, bub. I'll take it. Then it's game over for you!" We then fought, and I dodged Logan's attacks as best I could. But he wasn't holding back. Neither should I. If I make one wrong move, I'm dead meat. "Are you and Black Cat teaming up? I thought you and her hated each other," I said. "The Cat and I decided to truce," said Logan as he slashed my coat. "Why?" I asked as I grabbed his fist, the adamantium gloves protecting my hands. "We both care about Spider-Man. He was my friend! We're here to avenge him after what Fish-Head did," said Logan, "the fact that Black Manta let that asshole kill my friend really pisses me off! That kid didn't deserve to die! He was a better hero than me! So when I'm done with you, I'm gonna murder Manta in more ways than one! Even Felicia's pissed! So she's gonna take care of Kaldur." Oh boy... So Logan and Felicia think I'm dead, and they want revenge because they think Kaldur killed me. I get why Logan would be mad, but I never thought Felicia would go this far for me. She's no killer. I never knew Logan had such high respect for me. Before there are any fatal blows, I can see a psychic wave. Suddenly, Logan and I are inside my head. Also with us are Kaldur and Felicia in her Black Cat costume.

"What the hell?!?!?!?"Logan asked confusedly."What is the meaning of this?"Felicia asked, outraged. M'gann then used her powers to remove her mask."Guys, it's me,"I said, turning back into how I see myself. As Spider-Man. That's when I took off my mask. Revealing my face."Peter? You're alive!"Logan said."Of course I am Logan!"I said, crossing my arms. M'gann floated up above and said,"look."She then showed mental images of my memories. First she showed Kaldur pretending to stab me."Aqualad did not kill Peter,"confirmed M'gann,"he only pretended to be dead to become _Ricochet_ in order to join Aqualad in his mission to infiltrate The Light and The Reach."Felicia looked at me and said,"You're alive..."I nodded and said,"Yeah, I'm alive. Which means youandLogandon'thavetotakeyour vengeance upon Kaldur. Don't do this Felicia. You're no killer."Felicia smirked and said,"you don't know me at all, Parker. But I guess I don't have to kill your friends.Yousododged a bullet,fishboy."

"We appreciate your cooperation,"said Kaldur."Well, I'm convinced,"said Logan,"besides, nobody can dodge my attacks as fast as you, Webhead. You and Aqualad are playing The Light for chumps. Well played. Can you let us out?"M'gann nodded, and we were back in reality. "Alright, I need you to do me a favor," I said. "Sure thing kid," quipped Wolverine. He then killed the troopers, and knocked me down. "That's for lying to everyone about faking your death, and worrying me!" Wolverine snapped, glaring at me. I probably deserved that. Thankfully, he destroyed any evidence I did. Oh, but it didn't end there. I saw Logan and Felicia fighting Deathstroke. "I got Black Cat!" I said, attacking her. We fought, and she was on top. "I like your suit, it's so 90's and badass," she said, "though I think I know what a girl sounds like."

"Ha ha, very funny," I said, "still, I'm flattered that you and Logan would go out of your way to avenge little old me." Felicia growled and said, "Don't get too sentimental, Spidey. And let's not get too teary-eyed. I'm more into the spider than the man." I chuckled and said, "yeah, I know." Deathstroke interrupted me and said, "Stop toying with her and finish it Ricochet!" I kicked her back, thinking,"M'gann?"That's when she came and pushed Deathstroke and I away. "Leave them alone Logan, I'll handle them," said M'gann. "Okay, we're out," said Wolverine as he and Black Cat ran off. "Now, let's see what fun I can have with you two." M'gann said sadistically. "Yes, let's." Deathstroke said as he dropped some explosive pellets, knocking her back."M'gann,youbetter get out of here beforeyougetcapturedagain,"I said telepathically."Right, right,andI want toapologize in advance forthisPeter,"M'gann said telepathically. Sorry for what? That's when she pushed Deathstroke and I to the ground. Ow. Still, M'gann was able to make her escape. And now Kaldur doesn't have play possum anymore. So that's good.


	21. Summit

It was now the day The Light was to meet with The Reach. While we got to Santa Prisca, Black Manta said, "Kaldur, Ricochet, I'd like for the both of you to meet our newest member of The Light. He recently replaced Ocean Master." Out of the shadows came... Norman Osborn?!?!?!?! "Hello Manta," he said, "these must be your best men." I can feel my blood boil. This is where Osborn disappeared to? The Light? "We are honored, Osborn." Kaldur said. He knew how angry I was feeling. "The honor is mine Kaldur'ahm," replied Osborn, "you must be Ricochet. Man of few words and more action. I like that. Shall we ready our meeting with The Reach?" Manta nodded and said, "Yes, let's."

We then went to the cave below Santa Prisca. There was me, Kaldur, Black Manta, Osborn, Vandal Savage, Ra's Al Ghul, his bodyguard Ubu, Deathstroke, BRAIN, and his gorilla henchman. We went in and saw The Ambassador, his scientist, Black Beetle, and their cronies. "Ambassador," said Vandal. "Savage," replied the Ambassador. "As head of security for The Reach," said Black Beetle, "I insist that no masks be worn at this summit." Uh-oh. "Simply because you insist is no guarantee," said Manta. "Manta? If you wouldn't mind?" Ra's asked, "After all, we are among friends." Black Manta grunted and took off his mask. I took off my mask, revealing my disguised face. "We are so in over our heads..." I whispered to Kaldur, and he shushed me. Deathstroke then took off his mask. "Satisfied?" Ra's asked, and Black Beetle grunted. "Excellent," said the Ambassador, "then with these formalities out of the way..." Vandal smiled and said, "Let us begin." I'm just glad Osborn doesn't recognize me.

"And the rest of The Light? Won't they be joining us?" Ambassador asked. "Other than Osborn, our more public members are occupied," said Ra's. "Conjucting damage control over your recent defeats." Savage said, "And in any case, we are sufficient." Ambassador said, "Fine. I know you called this summit, but The Reach has grievances against The Light." In short, The Team managed to free Blue Beetle and Green Beetle from being controlled by The Reach. There was a lot of bickering. The Reach's public approval rating was at a record low according to Ra's Al Ghul. As was their sales of "The Reach Drink," something meant to enslave humanity. But yeah, there was blaming and bickering. That's when Manta got up and close to Black Beetle, ready to fight him. Uh-oh. "It seems we have a stand-off," said Ra's. No kidding. That escalated quickly. "No, we don't." Black Beetle said as he punched Manta to the ground. Deathstroke and I had to intervene and fight this jerk. We fought him, and the guards tried blasting at Ra's. I shielded him thanks to my suit. "Apologies, Great One." I said. "None needed, child." Ra's responded, "You have my... Thanks..." I used my gadgets to restrain the guards. They're gonna stick around. Before things could get more violent, Kaldur intervened.

"Enough!" he shouted, "We are allies, not enemies! Any confict between us only benefits our true enemies. The Justice League and their sidekicks, as well as The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and The X-Men!" Someone agreed thankfully. "Kaldur'ahm is correct," said Vandal. "Agreed, we must not allow petty disagreements to drive a wedge between us," said the Ambassador, "gratitude, Kaldur'ahm. Stand down, warrior." Reluctant, Black Beetle protested, "Ambassador..." But the Ambassador said, "Stand down!" Everyone then stood down after that. As Ambassador and Vandal continued to talk, I failed to notice Ra's looking at me. My Spider Senses are telling me something bad might happen. He then got closer to me. Too close for comfort. "Great One?" I asked. But then he grabbed my pendant. Oh shit. Then he ripped it off, so that everyone could see my true face. I am toast on a stick. "Parker?" Norman asked in astonishment and realisation. "I don't understand, I thought Peter Parker, otherwise known as Spider-Man, was dead?" Ambassador asked in disbelief. "So did we all," said Savage, "but it seems Spider-Man and Ricochet are one and the same." I'm in trouble. "This was a glamour charm," explained Ra's, "created, I'd wager, by Zatanna or Dr. Fate. To hide Peter Parker's true identity."

"But Kaldur'ahm killed Spider-Man," the Ambassador said, dumbfounded, "if he lives, and in disguise as his lieutenant, then that means..." Wait, they know I'm Spider-Man? "That means, Aqualad duped them all..." Black Beetle said angrily, "including his own father..." He then laughed. Osborn started to laugh too. "Kill them both," ordered the Ambassador. "No! You will not kill my son!" Manta protested. Guess family does come first. Too bad the message didn't come to Deathstroke. "He's right," said Deathstroke as he shot Kaldur in the chest, "The Light takes care of their own." That's when I got shot, and I landed on the floor, dying. "How anticlimactic," said Norman, "I would've loved to kill him myself. Pity."

"Kaldur..." Manta desperately said. "It's too late, father..." Kaldur said, "I have already... Won..." He then died, his hand dropping something. It was a beacon that showed a holographic message of Kaldur. The hologram said,"if you are watching this, then your summit is truly over. The Light and The Reach deserve each other. Both sides played at being partners. But The Reach believe The Light to be their naive tools of conquest. When in fact, The Light has been manipulating The Reach from day one.It was The Light that brought Earth to The Reach's attention, sending the Justice League to Rimbor. The Light set their trap, and The Reach snapped at the bait, fulfilling The Light's desireto thrust our world into the galactic spotlight. Part of their perverse survival of the fittest scheme for the planet. Which they believe willtransform the world and The Light into the eventual rulers of the Milky Way. Though The Light made a deal to help The Reach take Earth, they havealso sabotaged The Reach's efforts. They kept the enhanced Meta-Teens out of The Reach's hands. They added a neutralizing agent in The Reach'sdrink so that Earth's population would not become servile. They turned public opinion against The Reach. And they intentionally allowed The Team access into the Scarab Temple to cleanse Blue andGreen Beetle. So you see, any agenda that I imagined they shared was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion. I trust I have shatteredthat illusion. As well as whatever remains of this sorry alliance. Good night."And that's when the holographic message ended. Suckers. Kaldur got the last laugh on The Light AND The Reach. And you know what they say; he who laughs last, laughs best.

"Kaldur... Kaldur, what have you done?" Manta asked in shock. "He has in death done more damage to my plans than any living creature has done in 50,000 years," said an angry Savage, "I'd be impressed if I wasn't so..." The Ambassador yelled in anger. So dramatic, Ambassador. "You earthlings are a pestilence and a plague!" he said, "You dare sabotage us? DARE BETRAY US?!?!?!?! Have you forgotten who controls the Warworld?!?!?!!? The Light is fortunate enough we do not carve up your planet as we speak!" Savage walked closer and said, "That would indeed impress, as I have the Warworld's Crystal Key." Suddenly, someone said, "That is all I needed to know." Guess who? "Kaldur," said Manta, "you're-"

"Alive. Yes," he confirmed, getting up. I got up and said, "What's the matter guys? You all look like you're seeing a couple of ghosts..." Vandal said, "Impossible! Deathstroke killed you both!" Deathstroke said, "Just for a little while. After all, I wouldn't want to do any permanent damage..." Strokey turned out to be M'gann as she turned back to her green self as she said, "...to my best friends! Not when a little misdirection and Hollywood special effects will do instead..." She held Savage at sword-point as Kaldur said, "For we value our true friends, and unlike you, we are not short on them." That's when the rest of the team came in. Including Wally and Artemis, wearing their superhero suits! "Hey there Vandy! Ya miss me?" Kid Flash quipped. "Perfect timing guys," I said. "Well played. Well planned," said Vandal, "but The Light always has contingencies." My Spider Senses warned me that BRAIN was about to summon something. And ninjas swooped in! "I've had my fill of your interference," growled Savage, "do not expect to survive. Kill them all. Superboy may serve to be a problem, but we'll deal with him when the other children lie bleeding on the ground."

"Still you refer to us as children?" Kaldur asked, offended, "No wonder our success is mount. You consistently underestimate us." But the ninjas were just our buds. That's when the fight began. "You deal with these guys," I said, "Osborn is mine!" I then tackled Norman, and we fought. It was personal. "You don't know when to stay dead, do you Parker?" Norman asked as he tried to punch me. "You're one to talk, Osborn," I said, "You disappeared under 'mysterious circumstances.' You're gonna pay for Gwen's death!" I punched him in the face. "Not if I squish you first!" Norman laughed, "Even if you could avenge your precious Gwendolyn, do you really have what it takes to kill me?" I grabbed his neck and growled, "Don't test me." I then didn't hold back as I savagely beat Norman Osborn. I tackled him to the ground, and constantly punched him in the face. I was ready to deliver the final blow, but Nightwing said, "Peter, stop!"

"Why?" I growled, "You know what he did! He ruined everything for me! He took my Gwen! Wouldn't you or Bruce or Barbara want to kill Joker to avenge Jason?" Nightwing looked at me sympathetically and said, "There isn't a day I can't imagine not wanting to kill that clown! But if either of us crossed that line, we could fall into the lines of villainy. Peter, you're my friend, and I don't want to lose you like this. I may not have known Gwen, but think about what she would want." He's right. If Gwen were alive and saw me trying to kill Osborn, she'd feel appalled that I'd kill for her. I glared at Osborn and said, "I'll put him into SHIELD custody, let them deal with him." I let him go then. "That's the spirit," said Nightwing. I sniffled and said, "Sorry about that. No hard feelings?" Nightwing patted me on the back and said, "It's alright. Don't scare me like that again though." I noticed that Savage and the others got away. "Looks like we won," said Artemis. Batgirl hugged me and said, "I'm so glad you're alive!" I hugged her back. She blushed, and let go. I also blushed. She then pointed at Nightwing and scolded, "No more faking anyone's death for a year, okay?" Kid Flash chuckled and said, "Yeah, seconded." Kaldur sighed, "Agreed." Nightwing said, "Kaldur, this has been a good night. Maybe the first since we founded this team." Kid Flash smiled and said, "Come on man, enjoy the moment. You've earned it."

Much later, we were back at The Watchtower. Kaldur was back in his Aqualad suit, and I was back in my old Spider-Man costume. "Oh, it feels good to be back in my old suit," I said happily. Nightwing and Aqualad chuckled. "I am now officially returning command of the team back to you," announced Nightwing as he shook Kaldur's hand. "Congrats Kaldur," I said, happy for him. "This is unnecessary," said Kaldur, "you've done brilliant work leading the team during the most trying of circumstances." Have to agree with Kaldur here. "Which is exactly why I'm thrilled to have this particular monkey off my back," joked Nightwing, "job's all yours pal." We all laughed and I say, "Well guys, it's good to be back. But I have errands to run. Gotta talk to Director Fury about what to do with Osborn, give Tony the suit back, and then... I'm going to go see Aunt May."


	22. Aunt May, I'm Home

So this is what happened after the summit meeting. The Reach was exposed for their true intentions, and they will immediately be leaving Earth. The Light's public members, specifically Lex Luthor and Queen Bee, will be serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. As for Norman Osborn? According to Director Fury, Osborn will be going through Project TAHITI to ensure that he forgets that I was ever Spider-Man. He'll remember all the dastardly deeds he did as the Green Goblin, and he'll be serving a life sentence in the Negative Zone without parole. Sounds like a satisfying comeuppance to me. Osborn gets what he deserves.

After I turned my suit in to Tony, I decided to go to the apartment that Aunt May lives in with her friend, Anna Watson. I knocked on the door to see if she was home. A few seconds later, my Aunt May opened the door. Her eyes widened. "Peter...?" she asked. "Hey Aunt May," I said, "I'm home from my mission." Aunt May smiled and hugged me. "I'm so glad to know you're alright..." May said. I smiled and said, "I'm glad to see you, Aunt May. I really missed you and Harry. Can I come in, please?" Aunt May stopped hugging me and said, "Of course you can."

I went in, shutting the door behind me. "While you were away, your friends Wally and Artemis kept me company whenever Anna was away," said Aunt May as we walked to the dinner table. "Were they good company?" I asked, thinking of my friends. "They were indeed," said Aunt May, "though Wally was a hungry young man. Loved my cookies, always wolfing them down. Even the oatmeal raisin cookies you don't care for." That sounds like Wally alright. "Well, he's gotta keep that metabolism," I said laughing. "Care for some cookies?" May offered.

"Sure, I could use something better than the food Manta served Kaldur and I," I joked. We then had cookies and milk. "Sounds awful," said May. "You have no idea," I said as I dipped my cookie, "I found out that one of the teammates is in love with me." Aunt May gave a look of curiosity and asked, "oh, who?" Once I finished eating my cookie I said, "Her name's Barbara Gordon." Aunt May's curious look turned into a look of surprise as she asked, "Gordon? She wouldn't happen to be related to James Gordon, would she?" Aunt May knows the Commissioner? "Yeah, she's his daughter," I confirmed. Before I could ask, Aunt May rushed out of the room for a minute, but then she came back with a yearbook. "Come with me to the living room Peter, dear." Aunt May said. I decided to humor her and followed her to the living room, sitting on the couch. This was Uncle Ben's yearbook from Chicago University. "I haven't looked at this in years," said May, "but your Uncle Ben and I went to this college with Jim Gordon. He and your Uncle Ben were roommates." Whoa.

"Wait, for real?" I asked. "Yes, for real," replied May as she smirked. She turned the page to the college freshmen. There was Uncle Ben when he was a freshman. There was Aunt May when she was a freshman also, back when her name was May Reilly. And right there was Barbara's father. He looked younger. His hair wasn't a graying dark red, and he didn't have his mustache, but I could recognize his face. And those glasses. "Well I'll be darned," I said in surprise, smiling. "Your Uncle Ben was Jim's best friend," said Aunt May, "he couldn't make it to the funeral due to his work. But he did send his condolences." I sure can't wait to tell Barbara and Dick this little bombshell. Aunt May chuckled at my grin. "Do you have a photo of Barbara?" she asked. I nodded and got out my phone. I then found a photo of Barbara without her mask. Aunt May looked at the picture, smiled, and said, "She's beautiful, Peter. Have you developed any feelings for her?"

"Actually, yeah." I admitted, "After Gwen died, Barbara was another one of the many to comfort me. I started debating with myself whether I had feelings for her. When Megan confirmed Barbara had feelings for me, I realized that... I love her." Aunt May smiled and said, "That's so sweet. Well I think you should tell her how you feel when you see her." I nodded and said, "Yeah, I think I will." Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Dick. I picked up the phone and asked, "Dick? What's up?" Dick said on the phone, "Peter, we're gonna need you to suit up, and get to the Watchtower, ASAP. This is an emergency."


	23. Endgame

I went to my old bedroom to put on my Spider-Man costume, hugged Aunt May goodbye, and swung to the Zeta Tube in Queens. I then got teleported to the Watchtower as the computer said, "Recognized: Spider-Man, B07." I saw the rest of the team, except for Conner and M'gann. "Hey guys, where are Conner and M'gann?" I asked as I walked over to my friends. "They're headed to Rimbor to prove the Main Six's innocence," said Kaldur. "Okay, that's good, but what else is going on? Dick said this was an emergency," I said, looking at my teammates. "Oh, it is an emergency," said Nightwing, "the Warworld's left."

"Isn't that also a good thing?" I asked. "We thought so," said Kaldur, "but seconds before the Warworld left, Shazam, Black Canary, and Black Lightning were Boom Tubed out of the Warworld, unconscious. Then they left." Uh-oh. "That doesn't sound good," I said, worried. "That's because it isn't," said a mysterious voice, out of the shadows came out... Nick Fury?!?!?!?!?! "Director Fury, how'd you get here?" I asked, surprised. "I gave them a call," said Fury, "but how I managed to get here doesn't matter. What matters is what's happening right now. The Reach left a little present before they left. And by little, I mean world threat. According to my best scientists, there are twenty Reach devices that are damaging the Earth's magnetic fields, literally causing natural disasters everywhere. If we don't do something, we can kiss Earth goodbye, and The Reach will have the last laugh."

"How long do we have?" I asked, worried. "According to the Scarab, the best we have is 24 hours," confirmed Jaime. I took off my mask, scared. "This is bad," I said. "Damn right it is. I've ordered a Code Red," said Fury. We all looked down. The world's gonna end. But then I had an idea. It was a silly idea, but it might work. "Guys, I think Tony has something that could stop those devices," I said. "What kind of devices?" Jaime asked. "Well, it's only a prototype, but this tech can literally stop a magnetic field." I explained, "I nicknamed the prototype a Frequency Magnetic Disabler, FMD for short. If my hypothesis is correct, I believe the FMD's could undo the damage that the Reach's devices are doing, destroying them for good." Everyone looked at me with astonishment. "You know something Parker? That just might work!" Fury said. "Dude, you're a genius! That is so crash!" Bart said excitedly. "Peter, can you or Director Fury call Mr. Stark and ask him if we can use these FMD's?" Kaldur asked. "Y'all look like you're shorthanded right now, so how about I offer a proposition," said Fury, "I call Stark, and you let The Avengers and all their allies come to the Watchtower, and we'll help you stop The Reach together." That does sound like a good offer. "Your call Kaldur," said Nightwing. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," said Kaldur, "if The Avengers or the Fantastic Four or the X-Men were dealing with similar circumstances, I'm sure teaming up with the Justice League would be an important priority. You are welcome to call Stark and his allies Director Fury, we will allow them to come into the Watchtower." Fury nodded, doing that. "Well then, it's settled." I said, "We're in the endgame."

Fury lived up to his word, and everyone came in an hour. Wally and Artemis even came. But for the next hour, I was used to the computer saying stuff like, Recognized: Iron Man, A01; Recognized: Cyclops, X01; Recognized: Mr. Fantastic, F01. You get the idea. Soon all The Avengers, The X-Men, and The Fantastic Four all showed up. Some of The Team interacted with the others. Captain America soon came up to the front center so that we could all pay attention. If there's anyone who's the greatest at giving motivational speeches, it's Captain America. The guy could talk about what coffee he had this morning, and we'd all listen. "Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and the Justice League," began Cap, "for many years, we've all shared a mutual respect for the Justice League and their junior team who deserves as much respect. Although we've all never worked together, there has never been any ill will between us. I've always admired Superman and Batman. But whatever differences or ideologies these teams had in the past, it's time we put those differences aside. Because today, we all have a common enemy. An enemy that is destroying our world. According to Stark and Parker, there is an FMD that can destroy the devices that are damaging Earth's magnetic field. It is time for all of us to assemble and save our world. There are twenty devices around the world. You're all going to be split into various teams in order to stop the devices. Let's go out and save the world, whatever it takes. Godspeed, everyone."

I was put into a team consisting of myself, Shazam, Rogue, Wasp, and The Thing. We went to the device in New York. Wasp and Thing dealt with the blasters, while I put the FMD in the device. In less than a minute, the device malfunctioned. Success! "Yes!" I said excited, "High Fives all around!" I gave everyone some high fives. The results kept on getting better and better. More and more Reach devices were being destroyed with all that team effort. We went in and saw Wally, Artemis, Vision, Jaime, Pietro, Wanda, and Cap. "Hey guys, we destroyed the pod in New York," I said proudly. "Very good Spider-Man," said Cap, when suddenly, he got a call. "Hello? Do we have any left? Alright, I'll tell them." Cap looked at us and said, "We're out of FMDs. And it seems there's a much bigger device out in the arctic." I looked at Cap and asked, "What do we do?" Wally hesitated and said, "I have an idea... But you guys might not like it." Artemis gave him that, "Don't you dare do something stupid," look, but I hypothesized, "does it involve using your speed developing enough kinetic energy to shut down the device?" Wally smirked and said, "Webhead gets it." Though it's risky, I think it could work. "Perhaps I could contact your uncle and your second cousin for backup," offered Vision. "Good idea Vision," said Artemis, "Wanda, can you teleport the eight of us to the arctic?" Wanda nodded and said, "I can. Let's go." Wanda then used her powers to teleport us to the arctic. There was the Reach Device. It was causing thunderbolts and lightning and a massive tornado. To quote Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters, "Well there's something you don't see everyday." Wally looked at Artemis, holding her hands, and said, "Artemis, if I don't make it-"

"Don't you dare say it, Wally..." Artemis said, getting emotional. "I want you to know, I'll always love you," said Wally as he wiped her tears. "I love you too Baywatch," said Artemis. Wally then ran around the device. And by excellent timing, Flash and Impulse ran in and helped Wally. It was starting to work. But something didn't feel right. "Guys, my spider senses are tingling, is that bad?" I asked. "You have every reason to be concerned Peter," said Jaime, "according to the Scarab, because Wally is slower, the device will start attacking him, and in less than two minutes, he will cease to exist..."

**Third Person View**

Pietro heard enough. He looked at his sister and said, "Wanda, I know father and I never saw eye to eye, but I want him to know, I forgive him. Tell him I love him." Wanda confusedly asked, "Pietro, what do you mean?" Pietro looked at Vision and said, "Please, promise me you'll take care of my sister, Vision..." The android nodded and said, "On my life, I shall. It has been a privilege fighting with you, my friend." Pietro smiled and nodded. He then ran to where the three Speedsters were at. He was behind Kid Flash, running. "Sorry kid, but you're not the one who dies in this story," said Pietro as he pushed Kid Flash out of the way, taking the blast that he knew would kill him. "Quicksilver???" Flash asked in surprise. "One and only Flash," said Pietro as he felt his very essence eating away. "Why'd you push Kid Flash out of the way?" Flash asked in shock. Pietro made Impulse grab Kid Flash's hand so that he could catch up and stop the device. "He's a good kid, unlike me," explained Pietro, "he deserves to live a good life... doesn't deserve to die so young... Hold on tightly to him, boy... I didn't see that coming." He then faded away from existence. All the three speedsters could do was watch. Wally knew Pietro sacrificed himself for him. That was something he'd have to live with. But this motivated them to run faster. And by great timing, Nightwing, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad came in. 16 seconds later, the device shut down. The three speedsters stopped running, exhausted. "They did it!" M'gann said excitedly as the friends ran to the three of them. Kaldur helped Flash up and said, "Congratulations." Spider-Man helped Impulse up, giving him a high five. Artemis happily hugged Kid Flash as she said, "Thank God you're alive..." Wanda looked around and said, "Pietro...? Where is he?" Wally looked down and said, "I'm sorry Wanda... Your brother sacrificed himself to save me..." Wanda then fell on her knees and broke down in tears. Vision knelt down and hugged his wife, comforting her. He would live up to his promise. The world was saved. But it came at a cost. But Quicksilver died a hero, saving the world.


	24. Who's Laughing Now?

And now, back to Peter's point of view.

It's been a month since Quicksilver sacrificed himself to save the world. It's left an impact on The Avengers. A memorial service was held in his honor. Pietro's father; Magneto was none too happy about his son's death obviously. He practically blamed Wally for Pietro's death, and was ready to crush him with something large and magnetic, ensuring that Wally would send a postcard to Pietro in heaven. If it weren't for the intervention of Professor X, Wanda, and Vision, Wally's goose would surely be cooked. Needless to say, the Justice League have a bigger enemy to worry about now. It seems after M'gann escaped from Black Manta, she dumped Lagoon Boy. And now, she and Conner reconciled. Something tells me they're gonna get back together. Dick told me that Tim and Cassandra (Wonder Girl) are now dating. Call it a life's too short kind of thing. I'm happy for them. As for me, true believer? After Pietro died, I decided now was not the time to ask Barbara out. It was just too soon.

Anyway, I just got off work. After we saved the world, and the Main 6 made it back to Earth, I immediately started working for Tony Stark on Monday. He knows I'm part of the team, and is willing to give me flexible hours when it comes to certain missions. Plus he pays me a lot more than Jameson ever did. Jolly JJJ was such a cheapskate. Back to the subject, I got back to the apartment I was sharing with Harry. Once inside, I got to the kitchen. I was about ready to microwave a frozen meal. Such is the case when you and your roommate are bachelors. Right as I opened up the freezer, my phone rang. Now who could that be? I picked it up and saw it was... Batman??? "Hey Bats, what's up?" I asked. "Parker, are you alone?" Batman asked on the phone. "Yeah, I just got home from work and was about to microwave some dinner," I said, "what's the good word?"

"Your frozen dinner's going to have to wait," replied Batman, "Joker's escaped Arkham. And Barbara called for backup." Uh-oh. "Sounds like more than a coincidence," I said. "It isn't," said Batman, "I want you to suit up, go to Gotham, and check up on Barbara, see if she's alright." I looked for my suit and said, "Roger that Batman. Can you text Barbara's address to me?" Batman replied and said, "of course. Get there as soon as you can. Over and out." I got my suit on, and the minute I put on my mask, Batman texted me Barbara's address. That should be easy to remember. I put my clothes, wallet, and keys in my backpack. Once I was ready, I got out of the apartment, and swung all the way to the Zeta Tube in Queens. I ordered the Zeta Tube to teleport me to Gotham. It got me there, saying, "Recognized, Spider-Man: B07." I then swung all the way to Barbara's apartment. Since this was an emergency probably, I decided to just open the door, and went inside. I went into the living room, and saw it was a mess. There was a bullet hole in one of the pillows, and the couch looked bloody. "Barbara? You in here?" I asked, looking around. I then saw an unconscious Barbara laying in the middle of the floor. She was wearing a yellow buttoned blouse, her right sleeve was torn off. She was wearing a tan grey skirt, and it looks like her black flats fell off, because she was barefoot. I ran to her, having her face front as I said, "Barbara? Can you hear me?" She's breathing... Good.

Barbara then groaned, "P...Peter...?" I took off my mask and said, "Yeah, it's me Babs." She slowly opened up her eyes, and I helped her sit up. "What are you doing here?" Barbara asked, rubbing her head. "Batman told me you called for backup," I said, "he wanted me to check up on you. Are you alright? What happened?" I was unknowingly holding her hand. "Oh God... I remember what happened... I remember..." Barbara said, sounding terrified, breathing faster. If I didn't calm her down she was probably going to hyperventilate and have an anxiety attack. "Take it easy Barbara, breathe with me," I said, "just tell me what happened as best you can." Barbara calmed down and said, "Dad was visiting me... we were having hot chocolate... Suddenly, someone knocked at the door... I thought Dad ordered some pizza... I opened the door to find Joker was outside with a gun ... I closed the door to stop him, but then... Oh God, he shot Dad in the throat... he was gagging, so much blood... He mouthed that he loved me... Then Joker took my father and knocked me out... last thing I remember was calling for backup before Joker smacked me with his gun. I blacked out after that." I could see the look of terror in her eyes. "Barbara, it's okay," I said, trying to comfort her. "My dad is dying, Peter. I doubt it'll be okay," said Barbara as she glared at the floor, "I was so desperate to keep my dad safe I didn't even do anything to stop Joker..."

"Some things are beyond our control," I said, "did Joker say anything important when he attacked? We both know how much he loves to hear the sound of his own voice." I helped her stand up. "He said he was targeting me, not Dad. Said he's topping the bill," she said, "whatever the hell that means... He told his cronies to call Crane... I don't know why..." Crane? As in Scarecrow? "What if that clown is trying to do your dad what Scarecrow did to Dr. Banner?" I asked. Barbara gave a look of dread, then said with guilt, "Oh God... It's my fault my dad's dying... I'm going to go save him." I hate that Barbara's beating herself up. Reminds me too much of myself when I was younger. "Well if you're going to save Jim, I'm coming with you," I said, "besides, someone's gotta help you carry Jim to the hospital. All jokes aside, as your friend, we're doing this together, as a team." Barbara smiled and said, "thank you Peter. I appreciate that. Give me a minute to change." She then went to the bathroom to change. I put my backpack on a chair and called out, "Hey Babs, you mind if I leave my backpack here? It's got my clothes and wallet."

"Sure, go ahead!" Barbara called back. Less than a minute, she came back wearing a black and yellow Batsuit. "Is that a new suit?" I asked as I put my mask back on. "Yeah, it is. Come on, let's go!" Batgirl replied. We then got out through the window. We then went around Gotham. Batgirl then called Batman, saying, "Batman, the commissioner. Where is he?" Her voice was dripping with guilt. "I don't know Barbara," replied Batman, "I've been on a wild goose chase trying to search for the Joker. Where's Spider-Man?" Batgirl gave me the phone and I said, "I'm with her Bats. We're going to find Joker's hideouts. He's gotta be around somewhere." Batman said on the phone, "Very well. I'll let you know what progress I've made so far. Godspeed to both of you." He then hung up. For the next three hours, Batgirl and I looked for Joker, wherever various hideout he was at. We were at a warehouse district when my stomach growled. Batgirl looked at me and asked, "Did your stomach just growl?" I shrugged and said, "I didn't get to eat dinner. Bats called right when I was ready to microwave my frozen meal." Batgirl chuckled and said, "Maybe when we're done, I'll take you to Big Belly Burger. My treat." She smiled at me and I said, "Thanks Babs." Few seconds later, Batgirl's phone rang. She put it on speaker and she said, "Batman, you got anything?"

"Bullock lit the Bat Signal. He gave me tickets, with compliments from The Joker himself," stated Batman. "Tickets to where?" I asked. "Arbuckle Amusements," said Batman. "The old abandoned theme park?" Batgirl asked. "That's the one," confirmed Batman, "perhaps I could text you the address, not for your sake, but for Spider-Man's sake. Something tells me that he's not familiar with the amusement park." I chuckled and said, "You'd be right Bats. As soon as you give us the address, I'll swing Babs to the rendezvous." Batman said on the phone, "Very well. Be careful you two. Batman out." As soon as I was given the address, I set my webbing up and said, "Alright Babs, hold on tightly to me. This is going to be a bumpy ride." I put my arm around her waist, and Babs held on tightly to me. I then used my webbing to swing around Gotham. Babs giggled and said, "If these were different circumstances, I'd say I'm having a lot of fun swinging with you Spidey." I gave a look of curiosity and asked, "Why's that amusement park in particular abandoned?"

"Arbuckle Amusements was infamous for its abuse and mistreatment of their so-called freakshows," said Batgirl. "Yikes," I said, "that explains a lot. But Arbuckle Amusement sounds like the perfect place Joker would hide out in. Though the X-Men would find the word freakshow a very derogatory word." Batgirl nodded and said, "I'd believe it. Especially since the X-Men are good people." I still swung around Gotham with Batgirl holding on to me, until a few minutes later, we made it to Arbuckle Amusements. We saw Batman there. "We're here Batman," said Batgirl. Batman nodded. "Is it just me, or is there amusement park music playing?" I asked, curious. "You're not the only one that hears it Spider-Man," said Batman. We moved closer and closer. We could see the theme park was vivid and lively. We saw Joker and his minions who look to be like your generic freak shows that you see at the circus or the theme park taunting Commissioner Gordon. The commissioner was under a lot of stress. He was butt naked and inside a cage, moaning in pain. Batgirl glared, gritting her teeth. She looked ready to kill The Joker. "Batgirl, stay focused," ordered Batman, "I'll deal with Joker. You and Spider-Man rescue your father." We nodded, slowly sneaking up. A few minutes later, we were up and close. Batman pointed at Joker and bellowed, "JOKER!!!!" The yell was so loud, it scared Joker's freekshow minions to where they ran away. Joker smiled and said, "Batsy. I see you brought the brat and... Spider-Man? What are you doing with these no fun bats?"

"You underestimate these guys, Mistah J," I said, "they can be pretty fun at parties. Plus they invited me to a pizza party. Seems they like my jokes more than yours. Though it seems I'm looking at the biggest joke right now. It's you, puddin'." Joker laughed and said, "you know something Spidey? You're funny, I like you. That's why when I'm done with these bats, I'm going to kill you last." I pretended to be offended and gasped dramatically, "Why Joker! Did you just plagiarize Commando? Shame on you! You'll be hearing from Arnold Schwarzenegger's lawyer sometime soon!" Joker laughed and Batman lunged at him, attacking. As the two foes fought, Batgirl and I went to the cage that Commissioner Gordon was in. I used my spider strength to break open the cage. "Commissioner, are you alright?" Batgirl asked with concern. Jim's eyes dilated with fear. It was the same dilated eyes that Batgirl and I saw on The Hulk when he was under The Scarecrow's influence. I noticed that his bullet wound in the throat was sewn shut. "S-stay f-from m-me!" Jim stuttered, his voice hoarse. "Got an antidote?" I asked. Batgirl nodded and said, "Always." She then got out a needle with what contained the antidote to Scarecrow's fear toxin. She then stuck the needle into Jim's arm, and in a few seconds, he was breathing normally. "Commissioner, are you alright?" I asked. "Batgirl? Spider-Man? Where's Batman?" Jim asked. Batman was right behind us. "Right here Jim," said Batman as he covered Jim with a blanket. "Barbara... Is my daughter alright? Have you seen her? I got gassed with Crane's gas... Saw pictures of Barbara... getting violently murdered..." James broke down. Batman hugged him. "It's alright... Your daughter's alive... Listen, Batgirl and Spider-Man are going to get you to a hospital. You need medical attention," he said. Batgirl and I helped him up on his feet and I asked, "Can you walk?" His legs were wobbly. "I can," said Jim, "but Batman... The Joker... when you get him, I want him brought in, and I want it done by the book, you hear?" Batman nodded and said, "I'll do my best." He then ran into the old abandoned Funhouse, which was where Joker ran off to. "By the book, you hear?" Jim called out, "we have to show him that our way still works!" He reminds me of George Stacy. We then helped Jim get to the Gotham Emergency Room. We called for a medic, and a doctor came in to take care of Jim. We then got outside, waiting for Batman.


	25. Epilogue

For 20 minutes, Batgirl and I waited for Batman to call us. We weren't sure if Joker killed him or not. Batgirl was worried sick. Suddenly, Batman called. "Batgirl, Spider-Man. I brought Joker in," he said. "Alright, good." Batgirl said, "Spider-Man and I will go back to my apartment and change back to our civilian clothes and visit Dad. He's being cared for at the hospital. Batgirl out." She then hung up, and we went back to her apartment. We were gonna need to clean this room eventually. But that wasn't on my mind as I changed into my civilian clothes in Barbara's bathroom. I got out, waiting for Barbara. She came out, wearing a black tank top, a gray light jacket, red jogging sweats, and white sneakers. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she was wearing her glasses. "You ready?" I asked. "Yeah. I just hope Dad's alright," said Barbara. "So do I," I agreed as we left her apartment, walking to the hospital. "Y'know, my uncle and aunt went to the same college as your dad," I said as we walked. Barbara gave me a look of surprise and asked, "Really? I didn't know that." I nodded and said, "Yep. My Uncle Ben was your dad's roommate. They were good friends." Barbara nodded and said, "I think I remember Dad talking about your uncle. He couldn't make it to your uncle's funeral." I nodded and said, "yeah, I know."

A few minutes later, we made it to the hospital. We went to the front desk. "Hi, I'm Barbara Gordon," Babs said to the secretary. "And I'm Peter Parker," I said, smiling. "My father was brought here less than an hour ago," said Barbara, "we wanted to see if he was alright and if we could visit him." The secretary nodded and said, "of course. Sign your names here, and I'll admit the two of you in." We then signed our initials on a piece of paper admitting us in. Once that was taken care of, the secretary said, "your father is in room 139. Take several lefts and you'll be there." I nodded and said, "Thank you." Barbara and I walked all the way to room 139, then we quietly walked in, in case Jim was asleep. Jim was looking a bit better. He was in a hospital gown, and whatever places were scratched were properly bandaged. The bullet hole in his throat was properly sewn, and he was wearing an oxygen mask so that he could properly breathe. And he was given proper clean blood. He looked at Barbara and said, "Hey Princess." His voice wasn't as hoarse as last time. I think it's a miracle that the bullet didn't damage Jim's vocal chords or his spine. "Daddy..." Barbara emotionally said, and she hugged him as carefully as she could. I can understand why. She was terrified that her dad wouldn't be okay. He hugged back. "Sorry, didn't mean to get all choked up," said Barbara. "No need to apologize," said Jim. "How are you feeling?" Barbara asked. "Lousy to be honest," admitted Jim. "Did they tell you how long you're staying?" Barbara asked. "Just a few days," said Jim, "Good Lord, I had the worst hallucinations unimaginable... I thought you were murdered. Thank God you're alive."

"Dad... of course I'm alive but I should be worried about you! You're the one who got really hurt," she said, holding his hand. "Yeah, I was," replied Jim, "and believe me I thought I really wasn't going to make it. I think it's literally a miracle I survived all that." He sighed. "The Bats made it just in time then. With a little help from Spider-Man." Barbara said with a weak smile. "Good. I'm glad you're okay. Once you get out, take it easy." Jim nodded and said, "oh, I will. I'm being given more clean untainted blood, that way I don't suffer any infections." He then noticed me and asked, "who's this young man, and why does he look so familiar?" I smiled and said, "I'm Peter Parker. I'm a mutual friend of Barbara's." I shook his hand. Jim raised an eyebrow and asked, "Parker? You wouldn't happen to be related to Ben and May Parker, would you?" I smiled and said, "I'm their nephew. They practically raised me as their son." Jim smiled and said, "I remember your aunt and uncle so well. Your uncle was my roommate. And I considered him my good friend. I wish I could have handled my marriage the way your Uncle Ben did. He was such a good man. You remind me so much of him Peter." I sat down and said, "I saw a photo of you when you were younger." Jim chuckled and said, "Ah yes, the Pre-Mustache days." I smiled and asked, "Could you tell me more about my Uncle Ben?" For the next half hour, Jim told me about his friendship with my Uncle Ben. It was so interesting hearing about the man I considered a father through the perspective of someone else. It made me learn more interesting things about him. Heck, Barbara learned a few more interesting things about her father along the way. Barbara looked at her watch and said, "it's getting late Dad. You should rest." Jim yawned and said, "Yeah, I guess so. What a night... Be safe Barbara... It was nice meeting you Peter. Tell your Aunt May I said hello."

"I will," I said, "and it was nice meeting you as well, Commissioner." Jim chuckled and said, "please, call me Jim." Barbara kissed Jim on the forehead and said, "Love you Dad. Call me if anything happens." Jim nodded and said, "I will. I love you too Barbara." We then left the hospital. Barbara's father is alive and will be alright. That's good. Barbara looked at me and asked, "You still hungry?" My stomach growled in response. "Starving," I said, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. Don't tell Garfield I said that." Barbara laughed and said, "Don't worry, I won't. Come on, I'll take you to Big Belly Burger, my treat. You've earned it." So that's where we went. I ordered a triple bacon burger and wolfed it down. That's how hungry I was. Once I had my fill, I looked at Barbara. Barbara looked at me. Maybe I feel life is too short like Cass and Tim did when they kissed, but right now... I want to tell Barbara how I feel. "Barbara, there's something I want to tell you," I said. "What is it?" Barbara asked. "Do you remember when I took M'gann to fix Kaldur's mind, back when I was undercover?" I asked. "Yeah I remember," said Barbara. "During that time, she told me about you," I said, "she said that you never got to tell me that you were in love with me." Barbara started to blush. "Oh, right..." she said, still blushing, "well it's true. I like you... As more than just a friend Peter..." I held her hand and said, "Believe me Barbara, when Gwen died, I started debating with myself whether I had feelings for you. I wanted to tell you after we saved the world from The Reach, but after Quicksilver died, I felt it wasn't the right time."

"I understand," said Barbara as she blushed when I held her hand. "Barbara, you are brilliant and beautiful. And I enjoy every moment we get to team up and fight together," I said. "I also feel the same way when we work together," admitted Barbara, "plus you are kind, gentle, brave, and you always know how to make me laugh. You're my hero." She smiled at me. "Well, you're mine too Barbara. Now feels like the perfect time to tell you that I love you," I said, smiling at her. "And I love you too Peter," she replied, "and I want to be with you." We got closer, ready to kiss. "Then I am yours, always..." I said, and I kissed her on the lips. I then felt this sensation that I hadn't felt in a long time. I'm no stranger to it, and I enjoy this kiss with Barbara. I love her. I really do. And that my friends, is how I got the girl.

The End


End file.
